How to Read the Bible Fast
Regular Bible reading is an important spiritual discipline for many Christians. Many Christians make a habit of reading the Bible through each year but others have learned the benefits of reading the Bible fast and manage to get through the Bible in three months or less.
Advantages of reading the Bible fast include getting the big picture of people, places and events in the Bible, getting through tough passages of the Bible in shorter periods of time, and increased odds of actually making it all the way through the Bible rather than quitting half way through the year.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
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1
Choose a Bible. Though any Bible will do, it's important to start with one specific Bible and stick with it until it is read all the way through. Many who choose to read the Bible fast select a Bible in an easy-to-read translation such as The New Living Translation. Some also find it helpful to get a large-print edition for speed reading the Bible.
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2
Determine the pace. Those who choose to read the Bible fast generally complete it in between 30 and 90 days. Those who are reading the Bible fast for the first time might want to start with a goal of reading the Bible in 90 days.
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3
Determine the number of days each week that will be spent on Bible reading. Some choose to read the Bible every day while others find it more manageable to read the Bible only five or six days per week.
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4
Calculate the total number of sessions that it will take to read through the Bible. For example, someone who plans to read through the Bible in three months by reading five days per week will need 60 Bible reading sessions to read through the Bible in three months.
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Calculate the number of pages that need to be read each session by dividing the number pages in the Bible by the number of reading sessions (calculated in step four). For example, if a Bible has 1,000 pages and the goal is to read it in 60 sessions, then approximately 17 pages of the Bible will need to be read each session.
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Mark down the pages that will need to be read each day on a calendar. For example, on January 1 make a note that pages 1-17 need to be read, on January 2 pages 18 - 34 need to be read and so on. Scheduling the reading provides accountability and also makes it easier to know what needs to be read each day.
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Ignore the breakdown of chapters and verses. Those divisions were not originally there and were inserted only for the purpose of ease in locating verses. Pages are the only divisions needed when reading through the Bible fast in this way.
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Use a blank index card to cover up text that has already been read. This keeps you from rereading what has already been read and moving the index card down the page at a steady clip can help increase speed.
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Continue reading with the steps above until the Bible has been completely read through.
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Tips & Warnings
Choose not to get hung up on little details when reading the Bible fast. Bible study can be done another time. While reading the Bible fast, an overview is the goal rather than an in-depth analysis.
Block out as many distractions as possible.
Set a timer and work to gradually increase reading speed.
Reading the Bible fast is good to do on occasion, but much of the richness of the Bible is missed if it is always read fast. Once the Bible has been read through fast, the next time read the Bible through at a slow or moderate pace and also take time to study and meditate on Scripture.
